Turok 2: Seeds of Evil

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IGN64's monster review of the best deathmatch shooter of 1998.

By Peer Schneider

With some games, hype can grow so big, there is virtually no way they can live up to everything that gamers are hoping for. To a certain extent, this is also the case with Turok 2: Seeds of Evil. Reviewed by some magazines way before it was completed, the race for getting the scoop on this holiday season blockbuster has been pretty ugly. We have waited diligently until we got the final, boxed and packaged version of the game and played the hell out of it to bring you our opinions of what makes this game great, but also what some of its inherent flaws are.

Story When Turok destroyed the Campaigner and the Chronoscepter (in Turok 1), he unwittingly unleashed a new threat, this one even more menacing than the one he'd mastered. For back when time began, the one they call Primagen challenged creation and was caught up in a prison of his own making. The Lazarus Concordance realized the danger and erected a series of Energy Totems at places thought to be vulnerable to the Primagen's power. Awakened by the destruction of the Chronoscepter (doh!), the ancient Primagen urgently calls upon his hapless minions to destroy the Energy Totems and free him from his prison. It falls to Joshua Fireseed, the new Turok, to confront the challenge as he struggles for the very existence of the Lost Land! He must pay close heed to the wisdom of Adon, the Speaker of Forever Light as she guides him through multiple levels of new adversaries. As Turok, you will meet some familiar foes, like the hideous Purr-Linn, and come face to face with a blood-chilling cavalcade of new adversaries. As Turok, you will need daring, cunning, and all the wonderful weapons at your command to defeat the Primagen and save the Lost Land and perhaps the universe.

Gameplay Like its predecessor, Turok 2 is a violent first-person shooter based on Acclaim's comic-book series that pushes the N64 hardware to do things no other developer has attempted. The gameplay is very reminiscent of Turok 1. The Turok-style controls (C buttons for movement, stick for aiming) work like a charm and give the movement and play more "PC character" than analog-steered games like GoldenEye. For those gamers who can't stand this control scheme, developer Iguana Entertainment also included an alternate setup, but there is not much in the ways of variety. Our suggestion, get used to the Turok setup, and you will find that it enables excellent circular strafing, jumping, and good access to all weapons.

Turok's walking pace in the sequel seems a little slower overall and he turns much too slowly. Luckily, you can change the latter. Your first order should be to adjust the horizontal analog stick sensitivity in the options menu and switch off lock-spring if you don't want the camera to snap back whenever you let go of the stick (however, there is no "true" look-spring off option. The view will always center when you move forward). For those who are having problems properly aligning the crosshair with their enemies, there is also an auto-aim option that makes it a little easier to hit the targets.

The level layout is largely similar to Turok 1. You first need to fight your way through the first (and worst) level in the game, braving plenty of slowdown and fighting off a surprisingly low number of enemies. You cannot leave the level until you have found and saved four children and activated three distress beacons. Naturally, you're armed only with tame weaponry, and you have to open doors and hit switches in order to find those locations. Once you finish the level, you get access to the hub, from where you can get into all the other levels. Each new world is protected by three locks and the keys are scattered in the other levels.

The levels are HUGE, broken down into sections and linked by warps. While the sprawling level layout makes the game more realistic (as opposed to the mission based segmentation of games like GoldenEye), it also makes it a hell lot of easier to get lost. Even the overlay map system doesn't help much when you're standing in front of the exit gate and you're missing one of four children, having to backtrack or start at the beginning to find that one missing kid. Luckily, some of the monsters and ammo boxes respawn once you use a warp, so you won't be all that bored when looking around. Still, the fact that missions can't be finished without solving all objectives is annoying, especially when you are later in the game and you have access to multiple levels at once. It would have been nice to be able to leave a mission when you're stuck and try your luck at the next.

Here a quick rating of the different levels:

Port of Adia -- The introductory level is a little boring and barren, monster-wise, and suffers from lots of slowdown. Still, it offers plenty of sniping shots and teaches you how to use the bow and arrow. Best weapon: Shotgun. Best enemy: Raptor.

River of Souls -- After a fun sequence where you trample through the fortress on the back of a dinosaur, things turn ugly, with plenty of Endtrail attacks. Slowdown abound, but it's forgivable because of the beautiful architecture. There are a few graveyard scenes where Turok turns Quake and lots of complicated tunnels. This level is a prime example of how the levels in this game can be too large for their own good. Still, there are some awesome surprises that make this a more fun experience than the first level. Best weapon: Your trusted dinosaur "tank". Best enemy: Lords of Dead

Death Marches -- a fast moving level with lots of atmosphere and plenty of scares. Aural clues help you fulfill your mission objectives ("over here!") and there are some clever puzzles. This level should have set the pace for the rest of the game. Best weapon: Plasma Rifle. Best enemy: Pur-Linn (prize for best death animations)

Lair of the Blind Ones -- Very similar to the previous level, this dark and scary night stage runs smoothly most of the time, but can be a little disorienting. Still, cool level. Best weapon: Cerebral Bore. Best enemy: The Blind One.

Hive of the Mantids ¿ The hive is visually so different from the other levels, it's hard to believe you're playing the same game. Cool-ass enemies abound and lots of sniping shots. Best weapon: Flamethrower (move over, Ripley!). Best enemy: Mantid Queen.

As you can no doubt tell from that little write-up, one of our main complaints about Turok 2 lies in the framerate department. While Turok 1 was an exercise in smoothness, T2 forgoes framerate for detail so often, some gamers will definitely be put off by the choppiness. A little more focused level design with smaller sub-segments could have easily made the game run smoother, but we realize that Iguana had to cut a few corners to get the game out in time. At times, the game runs really smoothly and it's a joy to play. At other times, you're faced with five enemies at the same time and you can't hit them, not because you suck, but because the framerate makes it hard to aim. Iguana should have at least taken another three months to balance the game and make all the levels run equally smoothly.

Luckily, Turok 2 is about more than just a few slow corners. The game has an incredible lineup of wonderfully designed creatures, some great moments of pure carnage and much more navigable environments than its predecessor. You still have to jump over a few "deathpits", but jumping is less frustrating and enemies are far less predictable this time around. Sure, there are a few creatures that blindly run into your cannon's fire (or into a wall), but how many times have you played a game where an opponent takes cover behind a rock, crate, or even an egg pouch and dodges your attacks? Or try this: Take your bow, and shoot an arrow over an enemy's head. The noise of the impact will actually cause the creature to turn around and look at the arrow, then look into the direction where the arrow came from. Cool, huh? Other creatures, such as the Leaper, are able to follow you even into water. In a departure from its predecessor, there are lots of moments of stealth where you have to take your opponent out from far away (MDK-style), either with the Tech Bow or the much cooler Plasma Rifle. Headshots take out a creature quickly, while a shot in the arm only causes it to flinch. Iguana also added new talisman power-ups that bestow Turok with new abilities and allow him to access secret areas. They make the game a little less linear, but all in all, the game still follows a straightforward level by level structure.

Weapons Finally, there is the lineup of weapons. In Turok 2, gamers will be able to shoot some of the coolest weaponry ever put in game, and watch some of the nastiest "death animations" and dismemberments on N64 yet. If you're thinking of getting this game for your little brother, you might want to think about getting the kid a shrink at the same time, too. Here's the selection, with the appropriate comments:

Blade (Talons): Ever seen Predator? Your standard equipment blade won't kill larger enemies with one blow, but they're indispensable for chopping up compys or spiders. A cool alternative to the standard knife found in most shooters.

Warblade: Players will be able to upgrade the talons and exchange them for the even sharper Warblade. Not much more exciting, but it packs more of a punch.

Flare Gun: There are certain areas in the game that are much too dark to see. To help you with the darkness, you can either pick up a flashlight or shoot brightly glowing flares that stick to walls and ceilings. The supply is unlimited, so you don't have to preserve ammo. Unfortunately, flares are swallowed up by fog/darkness, so don't shoot them too far ahead.

Shotgun: The first major weapon is still pretty tame when compared with the later guns, but add some explosive rounds to this one and those raptor head shot pop off quite nicely.

Bow: You'll get this one right away. Shoot arrows that stick in walls -- and your opponents. The longer you hold down the button, the further they will fly. A shot to the head is the most effective. You can also pick up arrows again.

Tek-Bow: Turok's new and improved bow is ideal for quietly picking off enemies lurking above. Of course, the regular arrows don't cause all that much damage, but it's really cool to see arrows sticking in some giant monster's forehead while it's still coming after you. Once you find some tech arrows, everything changes. Switch on a sniper target and zoom in all the way on your enemy until you see the red in their eyes. Then unleash an explosive-tipped arrow that leaves a smoldering hole where once a head resided. Very messy.

Speargun: Water plays a more integral part in Turok 2 than in the first one, although there should have been more underwater creatures. Since most weapons don't work underwater, Iguana is borrowing a little item from James Bond's tool kit: A spear gun. It won't work on land.

Tranquilizer Gun: In order to solve some of Turok 2's puzzles, you will have to send some of your enemies into deep slumber. What better weapon than a silenced tranquilizer gun? Let's say you find a switch that opens a door. When you step on it, the door opens. But how do you keep the door from closing once you step off the switch? Zelda, is that you?

Plasma Rifle: Developed by one of the alien races in Turok 2, this weapon shoots out gleaming plasma bursts that light up the surrounding environments with an eerie glow. This newly revised version also has a sniper function that lets you zoom in all the way. Excellent weapon.

Shredder: This alien weapon produces strong blue laser blasts that will ricochet from walls and kill everything in their path. It's powerful, but it also causes a bit of slowdown.

Sunfire Pods: These little glowing seeds will burst open when they hit the ground and unleash a blinding flash of light. Use them to blind creatures that are at home in the dark, then take them out with another gun. A bit on the boring side.

Cerebral Bore: The nastiest gun in Turok 2, this gun locks on to an enemy's brain waves and sends out a high speed drill bit that bores itself into the creature's head. You thought using a tek arrow was messy -- a party favorite. Don't stop playing T2 until you have fired this gun!

Charge Darts: At one point in the game, enemies get too big and thick-skinned to be affected by the tranquilizer gun. What to do, what to do? How about using electricity to send waves of brightly sparking flashes over the creatures' bodies? A lot of electricity. Cool effect, but better used in multi-player modes.

Torpedo Launcher: You read correctly. The spear gun loses its appeal after a while -- what if you had a powered submarine version of a rocket launcher to hold on to? This one unleashes self-propelled torpedos that slowly catch up with your adversaries and make the water a bit cloudier.

Grenade Launcher: There is just nothing better than shooting a grenade into a tunnel and hearing the ensuing mayhem. Grenades will also stop mites and other "mass-produced" creatures from hatching. Turok can also bounce the grenades off walls or trees to hit his targets.

Flamethrower: Iguana proudly presents the first flamethrower in a videogame that shoots polygonal fire. This powerful weapon incinerates anything in its path and makes an awesome sound. A little pilot flame is burning at all times to give it that feel of authenticity. A great idea, but it also slows down the game. A small price to pay.

Proximity Fragmentation Mines (PFM): Iguana is also bringing out some of the more sneaky gadgets. Yup, mines are in the game. And boy do they blow up... When shot out the PFM Layer, the mines will lie on the ground beeping quietly. When an enemy triggers it, it will produce a horizontal explosion that rips the creatures' legs off. If that sounds a bit graphic, sorry, but that's what it does. Too bad you can't use it in the multiplayer mode.

Firestorm Cannon: Now we're talking! Remember Jesse Ventura's chaingun in Predator? Now add some serious muzzle flashes that light up the darkness with a cool strobe effect and you've got the Firestorm. It's not quite as cool as the one in the first Turok, though.

Scorpion Missles: What would Turok be without his trademark Rocket Launcher? Missiles with swirling smoke trails splatter your enemies into pieces.

Razorwind: Drool. Think Krull. Shave off some arms with a spinning blade. A fantastic idea.

Nuke: We think this is pretty self-explanatory. Once Turok finds all parts of this powerful weapon, the Lost Lands will be a much brighter and happier place to be. No, really. Although it's supposed to be the biggest weapon in the game, it's actually not as good as the Razorwind or the Bore.

Since there are this many weapons, Iguana switched to an innovative selection system, where players hold down the A or B buttons and point the stick at the weapon they want. The old "roll" system is of course also an option, and is the preferable mode for multiplayer matches since you don't have to stop two switch guns. Which brings us to...

Multiplayer Before we talk about graphics and sound, a feature new to the Turok series deserves special mention. When we heard that Iguana wanted to include a multiplayer mode in Turok 2, we were expecting something cool -- but to our surprise, the multiplayer battles are actually better than the one-player game! The two-player split-screens run at silky smooth framerates (in hi-res even), and the three-player mode almost never goes below 20fps. With four-players, things can slow down considerably when triggering a big explosion, but after only 20 minutes of gameplay, you will be so used to the speed that it doesn't matter. In case you're worrying that T2's multiplayer modes are a simple GoldenEye knockoff, then you'll be pleased to know that it plays a lot differently, with much more use of 3D space, more firepower and a number of innovative play modes and levels. In our opinion, the four-player deathmatch ranks all the way up there with GoldenEye and any fan of split-screen deathmatching shouldn't be without this game. We have one gripe though. While it's possible to save your character, stats and even name on a memory pak, the game dumps you out to the title screen after each battle instead of going back to the vs. screen. What the...?

Here are the different modes:

Bloodlust: This standard deathmatch offers the choice of 13 different levels, ranging from straightforward arenas to a level almost completely filled with water. In case you get bored by the look of a level, you can also select from nine different texture sets, from "jailhouse" to a frighteningly cheerful "Mr. Happy" variation.

Fragtag: Remember the monkey from Turok 1? The one you couldn't shoot? He's back. And this time he's toast. One player is determined to be the monkey. Pursued by the other players he must find a portal, which turns him into a human again -- and another player into the monkey. While you're the monkey, you cannot use weapons and only run around like a moron with your arms flailing in the air. It's hilarious!

Team Blood: Divide into teams and obliterate your opponents together. Players will be colored either blue or red so that you know who is on your side and who is not. While it is a fun mode (especially when fighting raptors vs. humans), the coloring easily gives away the location of players hiding in dark corners. It would have been better if Iguana had given the option to only see one's partners in the bright color.

In addition to the different modes, players can also adjust the frag and time limits, and which weapons are used in the levels, out of the following:

Crossbow: standard weapon. Arrows stick in people.

Speargun: The same thing, just for underwater.

Charge Dart Rifle: stun opponents and send them into a shaky fit.

Firestorm: T2's chain gun.

Assault Rifle: from the first Turok.

Plasma Rifle: with sniper capability.

Cerebral Bore: drills into an opponent's head.

Grenade Launcher: explosive grenades. Bounce off walls.

Scorpion Launcher: Quad-missile launcher.

Torpedo Launcher: for underwater fun.

You can also switch on crosshairs (we suggest you do so) and adjust the overall player speed (pump it up to maximum for the best fun). Sadly, there is no radar screen option like in GoldenEye, but it's hardly missed when four players go at it. When playing with two-players, we suggest using a smaller, less complex level so that you don't run around looking for the other player too much. The selection of characters, from the original Turok to a weapon-less raptor is well-rounded, but a little limited. Bigger, stronger characters move more slowly but possess more health, certain characters slowly regenerate, and others are just all about speed.

While it's sad that some of the cooler one-player weapons are missing, the arsenal is well-balanced and makes for amazingly addictive deathmatches. Locking onto someone with the Cerebral Bore and seeing everyone run for cover is so much fun, you won't notice how the hours fly by. Coming off of GoldenEye, you may need a little period of adjustment to get into it, but invite three friends over and we promise you that you will get hooked.

If you enjoy console deathmatches, then you MUST own Turok 2!

Graphics There are two sides to Turok 2 -- and no, we're not talking about the RAM Pak. First, there is the Turok 2 that dazzles the eye with realtime lighting effects, soft-skinned characters with unrivaled animation routines, unique architecture in each level, super-sharp and detailed textures, and some of the grossest, bloodiest death scenes you have ever seen. Then there is the Turok 2 that infuriates its player with disappointingly slow and choppy framerates, mostly caused by effects that we could have done without (like the particle explosions. We would have loved the less processor-intensive explosions Eurocom pulled off in the old Duke Nukem 64 and a better framerate instead). Play Turok 1 or Forsaken after Turok 2 and you will see the difference.

Luckily, the slowdown isn't enough to destroy the game. There are many areas where the game runs smoothly and the included "hi-rez letterbox" mode actually increases the performance a little for those who get annoyed by slowdown. Speaking of which, there is no way around it: You have to get the RAM Expansion to play this game. Not only can you play the game at a smoother framerate in the letterbox mode, you also get to run it at full-screen high resolution (640x480) mode with only little framerate tradeoffs. The sharpness and extra detail is worth it.

Like in Turok 1, the weapons look outstanding, with many movable parts and excellent special effects. In the multplayer mode, Iguana wisely moved the weapons more to the side and redesigned them to look a little less complex (for framerate reasons). As we mentioned above, animation is extremely lifelike. Creatures open and close their mouths, get blasted into two bleeding halves or lose their heads and stumble around for a few seconds before they die. It's sick, but it's fascinating to look at nevertheless. Each level has its own architecture and Iguana's graphics designers did a bang-up job creating convincing societies of creatures with their own culture and behaviorisms. The Purr-Linn, for example, live in block forts that look rough and primitive, whereas the Oblivion (don't ask. Play the game.) live in hi-tech cellars with spinning fans and reflective metal surfaces. There are plenty of scenes borrowed from sci-fi blockbusters, such as the predator-inspired cloaking and self-destruction devices and the somewhat Giger-esque hive with alien eggs. A beautiful game. Too bad about the framerate drops.

Sound Sound effects were never a problem in Turok, but many gamers didn't like the music in the first one. For T2, Iguana came up with much more complex, symphonic score. The drumbeats of yore still pop up once in a while, but there is a lot more going on. Some pieces are a little repetitive, but when you hear the muted trumpets cut the silence in the Death Marches or the Bernard Herrman like strings in the Hive, you know that Iguana has come a long way since Dinosaur Hunter. Even more ambitious is the immense amount of speech. Each level is introduced with an elaborate cut-scene (...which you can't bypass. Damn you, Iguana!) and tons of spoken lines by Adon. Needless to say that the weapons sounds are outstanding. From the sickening sound of the cerebral bore drilling into someone's skull to the chirping of the insects in the night levels, Turok 2's sound design is among the best yet. Too bad there is no surround sound.

Note that there is no music in the deathmatch levels in order to keep up framerates. A wise decision.

Peripheral Support The Rumble Pak adds feedback to the weapons. A controller pak is required (no password or EEPROM support), and Turok 2 takes up a whopping 90 pages, so say good bye to your other game saves...

The Verdict

I think that, like GoldenEye, Turok 2 transcends framerate questions and delivers a great gameplay experience that will hook gamers if they put enough time into the game. The graphics, especially with the RAM Expansion, are amazing. There is still a fair amount of fog (or darkness), but it's a far cry from the pea soup in T1, the creatures look better than ever, and the game manages to create a sense of atmosphere that I have rarely witnessed in an action shooter. But I have to admit that the flaws we mentioned above in the review would have caused a significantly lower overall rating if it hadn't been for an outstanding multiplayer mode.

A few areas are so slow and unbalanced (running around for an hour trying to find an exit or a save spot is NOT fun), I was ready to concede that Iguana had screwed up with Turok 2 and rushed the game out the door. But then there are those moments where the game is absolutely brilliant -- where creatures react intelligently to your attacks, you find a secret talisman that enables you to access a new area, or you get genuinely scared by something jumping at you out of the dark.

If our review has left you a little confused as to whether Turok 2 is the game for you, think about what you're looking for. If all you're looking for is a one-player shooter and you don't care about the multiplayer mode and the hi-res graphics, then I'd say drop the overall rating by 1.5. The core game has its flashes of brilliance, but it also has some problems. Turok 2 really lives off its visuals and the art design, and the multiplayer experience pushes it over the top. If you cringe every time you see a framerate drop in an N64 game, give this game a rental first (and use the letterbox mode). But if you're into multiplayer deathmatches, there is no way around Turok 2. You must have it. This game has almost unlimited replay value and will keep four gamers glued to their sets for ages.